Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé are leading the 2026 World Cup scoring race with six goals each, according to The Guardian.
Their tally has sparked anticipation that the men's historic scoring record could be broken this summer.
Record Chase Intensifies
Messi currently shares the record for most goals at a World Cup finals without winning the Golden Boot with Brazilian legend Jairzinho.
During the 2022 tournament, Messi scored seven goals and led the standings until Mbappé secured a hat-trick in the final to claim the Golden Boot with eight goals.
Messi instead took home the Golden Ball for best player alongside the World Cup trophy.
Jairzinho also netted seven goals during Brazil's title charge, which was not enough to surpass Gerd Müller, who scored 10 goals for West Germany.
The 1954 tournament holds the highest goals-per-game ratio at 5.38.
Max Morlock, Erich Probst, and Josef Hügi scored six goals each but finished behind Sandor Kocsis with 11 goals.
In 1958, Pelé and Helmut Rahn each scored six goals, finishing seven behind Just Fontaine, who recorded 13 goals.
Rob Rensenbrink missed out in 1978 after his stoppage-time shot hit the post, allowing Mario Kempes to secure the Golden Boot and the trophy for Argentina in extra time.
In the Women's World Cup, Heidi Mohr scored seven goals for Germany in 1991 but could not catch Michelle Akers-Stahl, who recorded 10 goals.
Abby Wambach and Ragnhild Gulbrandsen scored six goals each in 2007, falling just short of Brazilian legend Marta, who secured seven goals.
During the 2019 edition, Alex Morgan and Ellen White topped the chart with six goals before Megan Rapinoe scored a penalty to claim the Golden Boot via fewer minutes played.
The ongoing tournament has also seen contrasting fortunes for debutants and returning nations.
Dick Advocaat's Curaçao side secured a point on their World Cup debut, but fellow newcomers Jordan and Uzbekistan lost all three of their group matches.
They join a select group of 10 teams who have failed to register a single point at the World Cup finals.
Haiti, Iraq, and Panama made their second pointless appearances this summer, bringing their historical tallies to six consecutive losses.
El Salvador holds the lowest spot overall, losing all three matches in 1970 and suffering a famous 10-1 defeat to Hungary in 1982, leaving them with a -21 goal difference.
In the Women's World Cup, Haiti, Panama, and Vietnam all lost three group games during their 2023 debuts, joining Equatorial Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ecuador on zero points.
Historical records show some nations recorded their first-ever tournament victories with massive scorelines.
Canada secured their first men's World Cup win with a 6-0 victory against Qatar this summer.
Turkey previously achieved a 7-0 victory against South Korea in their second game during the high-scoring 1954 tournament.
Italy opened their historical World Cup account in 1934 with a 7-1 win over the USA, while Russia defeated Cameroon 6-1 in 1994 to secure their first independent win.
Long gaps between tournament appearances also mark World Cup history. Michael Laudrup waited 12 years between 1986 and 1998.
Niall Quinn missed out between 1990 and 2002 due to injury and qualification failures, matching a similar gap faced by Hernán Medford.
Faryd Mondragón holds a definitive record, returning to the Colombian squad in 2014 at age 43, spanning 20 years since his first squad call-up in 1994.
